The present invention relates generally to tow trucks and, more particularly, to a roll-back flatbed tow truck with a deck that can rotate or spin a total of 240 degrees.
The background information discussed below is presented to better illustrate the novelty and usefulness of the present invention. This background information is not admitted prior art.
A tow truck (also referred to as a wrecker, breakdown truck, recovery truck or breakdown lorry) is used to transport disabled motor vehicles to another location, such as a repair garage, or to recover disabled motor vehicles off-road. Vehicles that require towing often are those involved in breakdown or collisions, or those that are to be impounded for legal reasons. The tow truck was invented in 1916 by a garage worker, Ernest Holmes, Sr., of Chattanooga, Tenn., after he was forced to pull a car out of a creek using blocks, ropes, and six men. There are several types of tow trucks used today.
“Hook and chain” tow trucks (also known as a “sling truck” or “belt lift truck”) is exactly as it sounds. A hook and a chain are used to tow the cargo. They work by wrapping chains around axles and frames of vehicles that require a tow. The vehicle to be towed is drawn aloft by a boom winch, which is part of the tow truck, to rest against a pair of heavy rubberized mats so the customer's vehicle can be towed on its other axle. This type of towing causes scratches and damage to the vehicle being towed, so they are mainly used to tow wrecked and junk vehicles. They still may be useful for towing vehicles that have one or two of the front or rear wheels missing or for pickup trucks and other vehicles that have steel bumpers.
“Wheel-Lift” (or “spectacle lift” when the cradle resembles a pair of squared spectacles) tow trucks evolved from the hook and chain technology to produce a large metal yoke that can be fitted under the front or rear wheels to cradle them, drawing the front or rear end of the vehicle clear of the ground by a pneumatic or hydraulic hoist so it can be towed, which reduces potential damage to the car.
“Boom” is not a specific type of tow truck, but a piece of equipment used on many types of tow trucks. An adjustable boom winch aids vehicle recovery from a ditch, culvert, over an embankment, or any place the vehicle cannot be safely backed-up to.
“Integrated” (also referred to as a “Self Loader” Snatcher, Quick Pick or Repo Truck) refers to tow trucks that have boom and wheel-lift integrated into one unit and are often used as light duty trucks to repossess vehicles or move illegally parked vehicles. Most have controls for the apparatus inside the cab of the tow truck to make quick pick-up possible without the inconvenience of exiting the truck to hook up the vehicle. Heavy duty trucks are also manufactured with integrated lift.
These are the most common arrangements, but by no means exclusive, as there are flatbed units that offer a wheel-lift, boom trucks that can recover but not tow, and wheel-lift units that offer a combination boom with sling.
“Rollback” trucks have a long empty truck bed that has a flat top, which is also referred to as a “flatbed” or a “deck”. The truck itself has a hydraulic system in place to move the flatbed up and down and to tilt it so that it can be used as a ramp to provide for loading of cars onto the flatbed. For boats and non-drivable vehicles, a winch can be used to drag them up the ramp onto the bed. Once the vehicle is set on the flatbed, the hydraulic system is used to even out the ramp. This is usually the preferred towing method as it avoids having to drag the vehicle and, thus, has become the most popular piece of equipment for the towing industry.
Recent rollback tow truck improvements include the ability to swing the truck's flatbed ninety degrees in either direction. This choice of flatbed positioning reduces, but does not eliminate the need for additional equipment when doing vehicle recovery and also reduces, but does not eliminate, the need to reposition the tow truck during recovery.